Combined end thrust and self-aligning supporting bearing



April 18, 1933. N. SKILLMAN 1,904,770

COMBINED END THRUST AND S ELF ALIGNING SUPPORTING BEARING Filed May 16, 1928 INVENTOR Newton c5/ri//m an Patented Apia 18, 1933 UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEWTON SKILLEAN, OI HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO 0. &; S. BEARING 00., OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN COMBINED END THBUBT AND SELF-ALIGNING SUPPORTING BEARING Application filed Iay 16, 1928. Serial No. 278,179.

This invention relates to a combined end thrust and self-alignin supporting bearing. It has to do particular y with the provision of an extremely simple and inexpensive bearing which may be utilized either as original equipment or as accessory equipment for supporting various kinds of s a ts, including cross brake shafts for chassis frames.

Self-aligning, self-lubricating bearings for supporting cross brake shafts in automobile frames, to compensate for inaccuracies ininitial fabricationand assembly, have recently been used to considerable extent in the automobile industry. These bearings have provided for universal alignment and have also embodied the use of lubricant impregnated fibrous bushings for directly carrying the shaft. Such bearingshave proven very satisfactory and have gone into universal use.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved form of self-lubricating, self-aligmng hearing, which may be uickly and easily applied to shafts, such as t e cross brake shafts of an automobile chassis frame after assembly, or may be very quickly and easily applied as a part of the original equipment. This bearing is formed in a very novel manner by a very simple op. eration, and preferably is semi-spherical in shape, so as to cooperate with a similarly shaped portion on the end of a shaft, whereby to not only support the shaft and automatically align the same, but to take up all end thrust in the shaft.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentar plan view of a cross brake shaft for a chassis frame, embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal view of one end of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and showing in detail the preferred manner of utilizing my novel hearing as a combined bearing member and end thrust member.

Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the method of fabricating the novel bearing member.

The bearing forming the gist of'the present invention preferably comprises an outer bearing or casing 1, formed by stamping out from a single piece of metal, into a halfspherical shape. In stamping out this hearing member 1 it is preferably so stamped as to provide an annular flange 2 and an inwardl projecting flange'or ridge 3.

A disc of lubricant impregnated fibrous material 4 is then placed over the stamped out member 1, and by means of a suitable spherical shaped plunger 5 is forced within the member 1 and compressed into shape, the portion 5 of the plunger compressing the fibrous material 4 into a spherical preformed shape and the portion 6 of the plunger contacting with the outer annular edge of the disc 4 to press the same into shape upon the flange 2, as best shown in Fig. 3.

In forming this novel bearing member, and in pressing the disc 4 into shape, such disc tends to snap into place at the point 7 underneath'the inwardly extending ridge 3, whereby such ridge securely holds the preformed spherical shaped bushing in place. The bushing, preformed and ready for use, is shown as at 8 in Fig. 3.

A suitable bracket 9 is provided with an aperture 10 for receiving the bearing member 1, and such bracket 9 maybe adjustably or otherwise secured to an automobile chassis be obvious that by positioning the bearing member 1 at the end of the shaft 13 and in contact with the spherical head member 15,

and securely mounting the bracket 9 on the frame 11, that the bracket member will act both as an end thrust and as a support for ,the shaft 13, providing, of course, that the other end of the shaft is adequately supported, preferabl by means of a similar bearing member-and racket, as shown in Fig. 1. The end of the shaft 13, which is of greater diameter than the spherical member 15, is adapted to. contact with the flange portion tween t 16 of the fibrous bushing, whereby to positively prevent metal-to-metal contact bee bearing and shaft.

It will be obvious that by use of such a simple, half-spherical bearing member, that it might be so arranged in connection with a shaft as to provide a 100% end thrust and 50% side or supportingthrust, or 100% end thrust and 100% supporting thrust or various combinations of the two;

In Fig. 1 I have shown my novel bearing member as applied to an automobile chassis frame for supporting the cross brake shaft thereof. connected to the cross brake shaft in the usual manner, as shown, and a self-aligning, self-lubricating bearing member 18 may be positioned adqacent the actuating lever 19 for reinforcing the shaft. However, this ma be done away with in some instances an is not at all necessary in connection with the present invention.

Hollow cross brake shafts, such as 13, have been heretofore utilized in connection with automobile chassis frames and have usually been filled with a lubricant which thus lubricates the shaft bearings for a considerable length of time. It will thus be seen that the present bearing can be applied as an accessory for such cross brake shafts by merel removing the plugs in the end of the sha and replacing the same with the spherical headed members 15.

The present invention permits of very quick and easy assembly of cross brake shafts or the like, and upon tightening the brackets 9 the resiliency of the preformed fibrous bushing 8 will permit the same to be compressed to take up end thrust and will maintain such resiliency for a considerable length of time. a

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a hollow oscillate.- ble shaft, of plugs having substantially hemispherical heads within the ends of said shaft, hemi-spherical bearing members formed of stamped sheet metal linings in said bearings of preformed, compressed, lubricant impreg-v nated fibrous material for directly engaging the spherical heads of said plugs whereby to provide end thrust as well as bearing supports for each end of said shaft.

2. The combination with an automobile Suitable actuating members are 3. A combined end thrustand su porting bearing, comprising a half-spherica shell of stamped sheet metal, a compressed'preformed spherical shaped bushing within said shell formed of lubricant impre ated fibrous material, and a flange aroun the open end of said shell,'said compressed bushin extending around said flange whereby to loc the bushing in the shell and to also form an abutment for the member to be supported.

4. The combination with an oscillatable cross shaft having hemi-spherical end portions, of combined end thrust and self-aligning bearing supports for each end of the shaft, said supports com rising an outer shell of stamped sheet metal and a preformed, compressed, lining of lubricant impregnated fibrous material, said lining being hemispherical in shape and contour whereby to directly engage the hemi-spherical end portions of the shaft whereby to first align the shaft and then support and absorb the end thrust thereof.

5. A' self-aligning cross shaft comprising, bearing members for each end of the shaft the actual bearing surface of which is formed I In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. m5

.. NEWTON SKILLMAN.

chassis frame and a cross brake shaft extend ing through apertures in opposite frames, of

brackets secured to said frame members forpositioning the said bearing members in direct contact with the hemi-spherical members on the ends of the shaft. 

